Stepladder safety handle



United States Patent 3,013,627 STEPLADDER SAFETY HANDLE Albert S. Haislip, Box 186, Fredericksburg, Va.; A. Wilson Embrey, .lrz, administrator of said Albert S. Haislip, deceased Filed'Nov. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 852,550

2 Claims. (Cl. 182-106) The present invention relates to an improved safety handle for use on and in association with a stepladder and has reference in particular to a handle which takes the form of an attachment and which, as such, is bodily applicable and removable.

Persons conversant with the state of the art to which the present invention relates are aware that many and varied styles and forms of safeguarding handles have been devised and offered for use with a view toward enabling the user of the stepladder to steady himself when standing on the top step or platform or perhaps the next step therebelow. Although any number of prior patents could be cited here as exemplary of the particular field of endeavor herein under consideration, it will suffice, it

is believed, to mention just two. For example, the safety appliance for ladders in the Bayer Patent 1,660,909 is typical and comprises a substantially U-shaped member or bail having its ends hingedly secured to the ladder and capable of being swung into a position to extend upwardly whereby the person using the ladder may stand on the platform and rest his legs against the bail with a measure of safety. This particular appliance is attached to and is, objectionably, a part of the ladder. It may be stated in this connection that a survey of the market tends to show that all purchasers of ladders do not necessarily desire to spend extra money for extra equipment even though the equipment constitutes a safeguard. But before further exploring this aspect of the over-all problem, the reader may also desire to familiarize himself with the steadying device for ladders covered in the Backlin et a1.

Patent 2,467,800. This particular type of a handle is one which is intended to be clamped to an upper portion of one of the legs of the rear or back leg frame of a folding ladder. While this position and the complicated construction is objectionable, the point being made here is that the handle is at one end of the top step.

The object of the present invention is to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon the above named prior patents and many others which are available for consideration as has already been pointed out. The instant concept may be classified as advancing the art, it is believed, due to the fact thatwhile the handle or stick itself is not especially unusual, the means whereby the lower end thereof may be attached to the platform is significant. That is to say, the handle is fixed at its lower end to a clamp. The clamp is so constructed that the jaw portions thereof straddle the top step. In fact, the construction of the clamp is such that it is properly secured in position on the central or intermediate portion of the top step. In this manner the clamp is readily applicable and removable. Moreover it positions the handle where it is most needed, that is, at a satisfactory steadying and balancing position extending up from the center of the top step. In this position, it may be straddled and caught hold of with one hand or simply lightly touched in order to give the user the constant assurance that he can rely upon the handle for equilibrium and balance. Consequently, this improved construction is destined to come into vogue and meet with Widespread adoption and use because it is simple, economical and far more reliable than prior art adaptations which have come to the attention of this applicant.

In addition, novelty is predicated upon the fact that this type of an attachment can be purchased separately and 3,013,627 Patented Dec. 19, 19 61 I 2 used on virtually any and all stepladders which are presently in use.

Furthermore, the construction is such that when the attachment is not being used it may be inverted and clamped and hung in an out-of-the-way position on the ladder so that it will always be in readiness for correct positioning and use.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing an upper portion of a stepladder of a conventional type and showing the improved safety handle and the special clamp by way of which it is securely mounted for practical use on a central portion of the top step.

FIG. 2 is a view in section and elevation taken on the plane of the section line 22 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the reverse side, of the stepladder with the stepladder closed and showing how the safety handle attachment may be reversed and inverted and thus stored in an out-of-the-way but ready-to-use position.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the attachment by itself with a portion of the handle broken away.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 it will be seen that the stepladder is conventional and comprises a front leg frame 6 and a pivoted or hingedly attached rear leg frame 8. The top or platform step which is herein under consideration is denoted by the numeral 10 and the next step therebelow by the numeral 12. The safety device is reliable and practical especially when the occupant of the ladder is using either of the steps 10 or 12, especially the top step 10.

The handle itself is a stick of requisite length usually several feet in length and made of wood or plastics or even light weight metal. This handle is denoted here by the numeral 14. The lower end thereof is secured to the readily attachable and detachable clamp. 'This clamp could be of some other construction but for the present it is believed that the construction illustrated in the drawing will be satisfactory for mass production needs. The clamp is made up of upper and lower or top and bottom jaws 16 and 18, respectively. Both jaws are the same in length and each jaw is much in construction like the other one. That is to say, each jaw comprises a pair of equal length strip members, the strip members of the upper jaw being denoted at 20 and those of the lower jaw at 22.

Fitted between the rear or left hand end portions (FIG. 4) of the jaws is an assembling and connecting block 24 to the upper end of which the members 20 pivotally connect as at 26. The corresponding left hand ends of the members 22 also pivotally join the lower end of the block 24 as at 28. As seen in FIG. 2, a spacing and reinforcing block 30 is located between the intermediate portions of the strip members 20 and rigidly secured by suitable rivets or fasteners 32. The lower end portion 34 of the stick or handle is fixedly riveted or otherwise fastened between the members 20 as at 36 (FIG. 2). It will be noticed that the extreme lower end is mitered as at 38 and is flush with the lower edges of the members 20. Also, the edge portion 40 of the handle rests against the inclined end of the spacing block 32 for rigidity. Not only this, the right hand lower corner abuts and positively rests against the coacting edge of the assembling and pivoting block 24.

With respect to the members 22 of the lower jaw 18 it will be noticed that a reinforcing and spacing block 42 is also provided here and located intermediate the ends of said members and secured in place at 44. This block is spaced inwardly from the left hand and right hand end portions of the members 22. The right hand end portions of the members 22 (FIG. 2) are provided with a retaining latch. This latch is perhaps best shown in FIG. 2 wherein it will be observed that it comprises a simple eyebolt. The eye 46 of the bolt is hinged or pivoted on a hinge pin 48 and the shank is of a length that it extends between the spaced left hand end portions of the members 20 of the upper jaw and above the same. The shank portion is denoted at 50 and the upper screw-threaded end at 52 this end being provided with a thumb nut 54. The thumb nut is provided with a washer for cooperation with the centrally apertured securing cleat 56 which when in latched position straddles or spans the upper edges of the left hand end portions of the members 22 in the manner shown in the drawings. This latch is shown. in its open position in FIG. 4 and also FIG. 4 shows how the free end portions of the respective jaws may be spaced apart to facilitate positioning the same to assume a straddled clamping position across the central portion of the top step as depicted in the drawing. It has already been mentioned that the same jaw means is desirable in that it not only provides an over-all attachment which is bodily attachable and removable, the clamping means comes in advantageously in inverting and reversing the position of the attachment as shown in FIG. 3 wherein it will be evident that the handle then extends downwardly instead of upwardly and assumes an out-of-the-way position. Consequently, the owner of the ladder will always have the attachment on hand whether it is in use or not.

When the device is in use as illustrated in FIG. 1, the handle extends up several feet, more or less, above the level of the top step and since the handle is centrally positioned between the respective transverse ends of the platform the user has plenty of space on each side of the clamping means to stand firmly. At the same time, the stick or handle extends upwardly and at an angle slightly away from the user so that he not only has the stick between the legs to feel balanced as a reason thereof but may simply place one hand on or catch hold of the upper end of the handle for more secure balance and support.

Stepladders vary in height as is well-known and for this reason the height or length of the safeguarding handle 14 may vary in keeping with commercial and industrial demands. Also and whereas the attachment is primarily put into use on the top step as seen in FIG. 1, or utilized in the out-of-the-way position illustrated in FIG. 3, it is clearly the intention here to use the safety handle on any step desired. For example, on a tall ladder the user might not find it practical to stand on the top step. Under these circumstances, the clamp would be, of course, applied to any one of the steps 12 depending on ever-varying work requirements.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objectives and ideas of the over-all invention. Also, while the construction illustrated is preferred, it will be evident that changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of component parts may be resorted to in actual practice withou departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A stepladder safety attachment comprising a clamp embodying a top jaw and a bottom jaw, each jaw embodying a pair of spaced parallel members having a spacing and rigidifying block interposed between and fixed to median portions of said members, said jaws being approximately equal in length, a jaw assembling and hinging member interposed between like ends of said jaws and hingedly connected thereto, an eyebolt having its eyeequipped end pivoted between the ends of the members of the bottom jaw, the screw-threaded end of said bolt being adaped to swing to a latching position between adjacent ends of the members of the top jaw, said screwthreaded end having a nut and complemental cleat for retaining association with said last named ends, and an elongated vertically disposable safety handle having a lower end portion fixed between at least the members of said top jaw.

2. For readily applicable and removable use on a central portion of any selected step embodied in a conventional-type stepladder; a safety attachment comprising a clamp which is adapted to be removably clamped in a temporarily usable horizontal position on a restrictively limited median portion of a selected step, a vertically elongated rigid safety-type balancing and steadying handle for the user of the ladder, said handle having a lower end thereof fixed to one end of the clamp so that when the clamp is in a usable position on said step the handle extends upwardly above the central portion of the step, said clamp embodying companion top and bottom jaws opposed to each other and hingedly joined to each other at said one end of said clamp, the jaws at the opposite end portion of said clamp being free and spaced apart and permitting said jaws to be forked over said median portion in a manner to transversely bridge the top and bottom surfaces of said step, and manually usable fastening means carried by and separably securing said free ends of jaws together in a manner to clampingly hold the jaws on said step.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 622,226 Homan Apr. 4, 1899 936,438 Fitzgerald Oct. 12, 1909 1,737,315 MacDonald Nov. 26, 1929 2,467,800 Backlin et al Apr. 19, 1949 2,706,662 Brown Apr. 19, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 446,684 Germany Nov. 24, 1926 

